I see pictures, I hear stories from Haiti and it brings me to tears. I am pained by my own inability to go to Haiti, and by my helplessness as I see the pictures that come from there. What can I do? What can we do? Is there a way we can be of help from the spiritual side of things? I think there is.

There are lots of lists of important events marking the end of the decade. Many of them will point to 9/11 as the most significant day of the decade. Look at the event from another angle as you read on . . .

Installment five of a series exploring the meanings behind the Advent themes of hope, peace, joy and love through Richard Leach's hymn, Hope is a Candle.

Installment four of a series exploring the meanings behind the Advent themes of hope, peace, joy and love through Richard Leach's hymn, Hope is a Candle.

Installment three of a series exploring the meanings behind the Advent themes of hope, peace, joy and love through Richard Leach's hymn, Hope is a Candle.

Installment two of a series exploring the meanings behind the Advent themes of hope, peace, joy and love through Richard Leach's hymn, Hope is a Candle.

We overlook Christmas/Advent carols. With much love and affection we sing them year after year, but do we know the stories they tell? Maybe we have gotten so used to them that the words fly past and in our joy of singing the tune, or getting to that favored “Gloria,” we forget their meaning altogether? What happens we when we stop and take a closer look? This year, one Christmas hymn has taken me by surprise. Hope is a Candle by RIchard Leach provides us a new way to explore the themes of the season. Join me as I seek new depth in Advent through hymnody.

Some churches, during the Christmas season will hold "blue Christmas" services. These services are meant to offer some solace to those who may be grieving a loss of any type during this season. But I think to have these services at Christmas is too late!

This weekend, churches everywhere will be talking about gratefulness and thanksgiving - in a time of lost jobs, lost homes, lost loves.

Can we find thankfulness and gratefulness in the midst of the grey and darkness> I think so. Read on.

This is an end-season time of creativity and recharging spiritual introspection for me. I wrote this a couple of weeks ago, deciding to try my pen at some lyrical poetry. Blessings and angels to all of us this Fall-To-Come-Winter.

This note has been on my mind for some time. The perspective of a particular TV show (read on to see which one!) made me think about how I relate to the bad things, what we often call evil, I see going on around--and sometimes within. These are just a few beginning thoughts. See what you think.

Would you descibe your church as authentic? Is your church stuck in the ego building process or committed to transformation? One of the riches of the United Church of Christ has always been its humilty and understanding that God cannot be controlled. The commitment to transformation has always been at our center, and the invitation is always there to be loved, not for who you "pretend" to be, but to be who you "really" are.

This is not a history of a basketball fan club.The Celts are first fleetingly mentioned by the Greek historian Hecataeus of Miletus at the end of the 6th century BC. They were likely the first pan-European civilization. Their origins are unknown, but they likely migrated from areas in Anatolia and other areas around the Black Sea. Ian Bradley notes that “They may possibly have first emerged as a distinct linguistic group in the area around the Black Sea about 1000 B.C.”

Some language researchers have noted the similarities between early indo-European languages and Sanskrit and have suggested that the language community nay first have appeared in NW India.

These early Celts left a legacy of fine art in their metalwork. In addition, their language, they have shown a history as fierce fighters, but with little strategic planning.

I'll take you on a brief tour of resources and experiences available on the Internet that may help deepen your spiritual life. This week, a new look at an old tradition of spiritual growth, and a music video from Taizé.

As we leave 2008, may this prayer prepare our spirit for 2009 and all that it will hold.

In this week of Thanksgiving in the US, let's take a few moments to reflect on the true meaning of thanksgiving and gratefulness in our own lives. We in the UCC are the carriers of the Pilgrim and Puritan traditions, so let's lay the turkey aside for a moment and think about how we can be truly grateful this week. Also find here an introduction to a spirituality resource particularly appropriate for this week.

What are the essentials of your Faith??